Runproof knitted fabric and article such as stockings, and method of making the same



July 3, 1934.

G. GASTRICH ITTED FABRIC AND ARTICLE SUCH AS Firs--1- w L J W 1% mmum/101;.- gxwizw Qasirw/a,

July 3, 1934. s c 1,965,034 RUNPROOF KNIT FABRIC AND ARTICLE SUCH ASSTQCKING'S AND METHOD OF MAK THE S Filed Jan. 31, 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 July3, 1934. s c 1,965,034

TED FA ARTICLE RUNPRO KNIT C AND CH AS STOG GS AN D METH OF MAKING THAME I Flled Jan. 31, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

/ ATTOR Y.

y 3, 1934. G. GASTRICH 1,965,034

RUNPROOF KNITTED FABRIC AND ARTICLE SUCH AS STOCKINGS AND MET OF MAK THESAME Filed 51, 1 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 1 E- .l@ 8 2a 20 r a \7 I i. QQP% TY a v ATTORNEY.

Jufiy 3, 1934.

' RUNPROOF KN GGGGGGGGG CH ITTED FABRIC AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AS G. GASTRICHITTED FABRIC AND ARTICLE SUCH AS INVENTOR: 'asfinbk BY I W ArrokfifPatented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES RUNPROOF KNITTED FABRIC AND ARTICLESUCH AS STOCKINGS, AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Gustav Gastrich,Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., acornotation of Pennsylvania Application January 31, 1933, Serial No.654,399 Claims. (o1. 66198) This invention relates toa novel andimproved knitted fabric and method of making the same, and moreparticularly to run-proof or runresist fabrics and articles of wearinapparel, such as stockings, made therefrom, in which selected loops arespread over adjacent wales in the same course, or in succeeding courses,in such manner as to form interlocking or barrier courses throughout thefabric.

In knitting the barrier or interlocking courses of run-resist orrun-proof knitted fabrics of the type employing spread interlockingloops, plain loops are first formed and then certain of the loops, forexample, alternate loops, are spread or extended by means of a row ofcoacting shifting points from the needles about which the loops areoriginally formed to other needles thereby to produce locking or barrierstitches 'for limiting or preventing runs in the fabric due to threadrupture. When a loop is spread or extended from one needle to anotherneedle its length is considerably greater than that of a plain loop, andsince the loop prior to spreading was a plain loop of usual length, thespread loops are under appreciably greater thread tension than the plainloops.

The increased tension present in spread loops gives rise to variousundesirable effects. For example, the tension on the legs of the spreadloops causes a severe yarn strain to be imposedon the loops of the plaincourses ordinarily interposed between and engaging with successiveinterlocking courses. This is particularly so with respect to the needleloops, each of which is required to hold the strain of bothlegs of thespread loop with which it is engaged. In articles of wearing apparel,and particularly in a full fashioned stocking which,is tightly stretchedon the leg of,

the wearer, a breaking strain is liable to be imposed upon one or moreloops of the plain courses, resulting in thread rupture at that point.

Other undesirable effects present in run-proof fabrics heretoforeproduced are loop distortion and the formation of relatively largeopenings caused by the spread loops, so that the fabric is of uneventexture and does not have the desired uniform appearance. Also, therun-proof fabrics heretofore produced have had an objectionable fiatappearance or absence of anywell defined pleasing effect, such as, forexample, the riblike effect characteristic of stocking and other fabricsin which, due to the pull exerted on the fabric by the take-01fmechanism during the knitting process, the sinker loops are narrow inwidth relative to the needle loops. of wearing apparel, especiallyladies stockings, are sold principallyon their appearance, this has beenan important factor in preventing run-proof stockings and other sucharticles from achieving greater popularity.

Since various articles I An object of the invention is the production ofa run-proof or run-resist fabric in which the foregoing disadvantagesare obviated or minimized, and having courses of special loopsinterposed between andengaging with the spread loops of successiveinterlocking courses in such manner as to substantially reduce orprevent the yarn strain normally caused by the spread loops.

Other objects are to minimize or prevent loop distortion occasioned bythe spread loops; to reduce the size of the openings of the spreadloops; and to produce a run-proof fabric of even texture.

A further object is to enhance the appearance and quality of run-proofstockings, particularly the leg portions thereof, and to eliminate theobjectionable flat appearance ordinarily associated therewith.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments ofthe invention shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention residesin the novel fabrics and articles, and method of producing the same, ashere-' inafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a stocking substantially composed of fabric in accordancewith the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a patch of run-proof fabric formed bybarrier courses in the welt of the stocking of Fig. 1;

Fig.- 3 is an enlarged plan view of a patch run-proof fabric inaccordance with the invention, and comprising the leg portion of thestocking of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is a diagrammatic view of the loop arrangement of the fabric ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of loop arrangement;

Figs. 6 to 1'7 diagrammatically illustrate various steps in the methodof making the fabric of Fig. 3;

Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of a patch of fabric in accordance withanother form of the invention;

Fig. 19 shows a stocking composed of the fabric of Fig. 18; and

Fig. 20 isa diagrammatic view of the loop ar rangement of the fabric ofFigs. 18 and 19.

Fig. 1 illustrates the fabric of Fig. 3 as it appears in a fullfashioned stocking (except that it is enlarged to disclose the loopformation) and therefore shows the reverse side of the fabric of Fig. 3with its lower edge uppermost. The stocking'comprises a welt 14comprised of the fabric the machine while knitting the stocking, and isof the type consisting of plain courses 1 and interlocking courses 2composed of spread loops 3, the interlocking courses being formed byspreading and interlocking certain loops and arranging these loops instaggered relationship in succeeding interlockingcoui ses so as to givethe patch of fabric run-proof characteristics and thereby prevent garterruns in the welt.

For the various reasons above pointed. out and others which will appearhereinafter, I limit the use of the fabric of Fig. 2 to the welt, andpref-' erably to an intermediate portion thereof, as indicated in Fig.1, the remaining portions of the welt being composed of plain knitfabric, or ornamental fabric, or both, and in stockings of the bettergradesfitwill be found desirable to form the welt portion thereof,either partially or entirely, of the fabric of Fig. 3, without utilizingthe fabric of Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the opposite legs 3a of thespread loops 3 of the interlocking courses engage with and are held bythe plain chain loops 5. of the plain courses 1. The loops 5 are eachcomposed of a single yarn which takes the greater part of the strainexerted by both legs of the spreadloops, and sincethe strain on thefabric isv appreciably increased when the stocking is worn, thisproduces a severe yarn strain on the loops 5 which may result in threadrupture of one or more of the loops. Thread rupture results in theformation ofloose ends, holes or other irregularities, thus causing thefabric to have an unsightly appearance, so that the fabric is notdesirable for use in the leg portion of the stocking where goodappearance is the most important consideration. Also, due to theincreased tension present in the spread loops, the legs 30 of eachspread loop tend to spread apart or open up, resulting in the formationof relatively large openings in the fabric thus causing it to have anuneven texture and undesirable appearance which is particularly inevidence in uninterrupted areas of considerable extent, such as isshorter along its high tensioned edge than it in the leg portion of astocking.

Fig. 3 shows a patch of my novel run-proof fabric having variouscharacteristics which make it especially suitable for the leg portion ofa stocking. The patch is enlarged twenty times, and discloses the actualformation and arrangement of the loops. The fabric is shown in the sameposition as the fabric of Fig. 2, i. e., as it comes from the machinewhile knitting the stocking, and consists of interlocking courses 6interconnected with special courses '7 of transferred loops 9. Loops 8of the interlocking courses are spread, as from wales 10 to wales 11, ina manner well known in the art, except that the loops are not formed byspreading, interlocking and staggering loops in succeeding interlockingcourses,'as in the arrangement of Fig. 2, the spread loops 8 of Fig.3'being spread into the same wales in succeeding interlocking courses?In the fabric illustrated, the loops are spread to the right, althoughit will be understood that they may be spread to the left, or to theleft and right in succeeding interlocking courses, if desired.

Courses 7 are produced by transferring alternate loops 9 from wales'llto wales 10 throughout the courses, the loops engaging with both legs 8aof the adjacent spread loops 8. Since the loops 13 which have not beentransferred also engage bothlegs 8a of the spread loops, this causes thestrain exerted by the legs of each spread loop to be equally dividedbetween the loops 9 and 13, thus preventing excessive yarn strain in anyone loop. By reason of the combined effect and opposite directions ofpull of the loops 9 and 13, respectively, the opposite legs 8a of thespread ,loops are brought closer together and the openings caused by thespread loops are materially reduced in size, whereby the fabric has asubstantially even and uniform texture, as distinguished from the uneventexture of the fabric of Fig. 2. Due to the coaction of loops 9 and 13,the liability of thread cutting and rupture of loops 8, 9 and 13 isminimized since the surface presented to the thread of the spread loopsis doubled at the points of greatest strain, viz., where the loops 9-and13 engage the legs 8a.

The arrangement of spread loops and trans-' ferred stitches in themanner disclosed obviates the necessity of staggering the spread loops 8in succeeding interlocking courses in order to make the fabric run-proofin every Wale, the loops 8 locking the wales 10 from which they arespread and the loops 9 locking the wales 11 from which they aretransferred. It will be understood, however, that the spread loops maybe staggered in succeeding interlocking courses, if desired, in whichcase the transferred loops are preferably likewise staggered insucceeding courses.

The fabric of Fig. 3 possesses an important advantage in that it doesnot have the objectionable flat appearance characteristic of the fabricof Fig. 2; on the contrary, it has a desirable riblike effect extendingwalewise of the fabric, more clearly seen in Fig. l.

The usual arrangement of interlocking courses,

in which the locking loops of all the courses throughout the fabric arespread or displaced laterally in one and thesame direction hasdisadvantages, particularly when the fabric is made in the form of afull fashioned stocking blank. Spreading or displacing the locking loopsof the usual formation in the same direction places the knitted fabricunder such tension along one edge of the blank that the blank whencompleted is along its opposite edge, and in view of the fact that theopposite edges of the stocking blank must be matched and then looped orstitched together to complete the stocking, the fabric containinglocking stitches all running in the same direction presents seriousdifliculties in the formation of full fashioned stockings. Also, thelines produced crosswise of the stockings by the courses of stitches'aredistorted, thereby detrimentally affecting the appearance of thestocking. Another disadvantage is that the stocking when completedtwists spirally throughout its length, tending to displace the back seamof the stocking from its intended straight position up the back of thewearers leg. In the fabric of the invention, the transferred loops givea greater flexibility and an increased elasticity to the fabric whichminimizes and tends to neutralize the foregoing distortional effects. I

In the specific form illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, there are no plaincourses interposed between or interconnecting with the interlockingcourses,

although one or more plain courses 18 may be employed, as illustrateddiagrammatically in Fig. 5. Preferably, and as shown, the specialcourses 7 are positioned so that the transferred loops 9 engage the legs8a of the spread loops and the loops 19 of the plain courses 18 engagetheintermediate or bight portions of the spread loops, although undercertain conditions it may be found unnecessary to utilize thetransferred loops for holding the strain imposed upon the legs of thespread loops, in which case the various courses 6, 7 and 18 may bearranged in any desired order throughout the fabric and so long as theloops 9 are transferred from the wales into which the loops 8 arespread, the transferred loops and spread loops will coact to look allwales of the fabric and produce a run-proof fabric having the desirablecharacteristics mentioned above.

Figs. 6 to 1'7 diagrammatically illustrate the relative movements of thetransfer points and needles of the well lmown Reading full fashionedstock'ing knitting machine in producing the fabric of Figs. 3 and 4,although it will be understood that the fabric may be produced on othermachines, or by hand, if desired. Fig. 6 shows one each of a series ofneedles 20, transfer points 21, sinkers and dividers 22, and knockoverbits 23, and Fig. 7 is a corresponding plan view showing the loopformation and position of the needles relative to the loops. The needlesare mounted in the usual manner in a needle bar which is given thenecessary vertical and horizontal movements by the needle bar actuatingmechanism, and the points are held in the usual manner in a point barsupported by the narrowing machine which, during the spreading andtransferring operations, gives the necessary vertical movements to thepoints in time relation with the movements of the needles. Only thoseparts of the knitting machine necessary for an understanding of theinvention are shown in the drawings; the various other parts, mechanismsand their manner of operation are well known in the art and are omittedfor the sake of simplicity.

In Figs. 6 and 7 there is shown a course 70. composed of sinker andneedle loops which have been formed about the needles 20 by the actionof the sinkers and dividers 22, the points 21 having descended to engagealternate needles 20 in the row of needles. The points and needles nowmove downwardly together into the knockover bit structure until thepoints have entered the selected loops, after which, as shown in Figs. 8and 9, the points move away from needles, carrying with them the loopsremoved therefrom. The points then rise until they have cleared theknockover bits and are shifted in the usual manner one needle distanceto the right, shown in Figs. 10 and 11, in order to transfer theselected loops onto adjacent needles 20a in the subsequent upward risingmovement of the needles, whereby loops 9 will be superposed on loops 13,thus producing a transferred course 7 in which there is an accumulationof loops in alternate wales of the course.

In Figs. 12 and 13 the transferred com se 7 has been completed, and anew course 6a of s'nkerv and needle loops has been formed, alternateloops 8b of which have been passed through the loops of the transferredcourse. The points 21 have descended into engagement with alternateneedles 20a for the purpose of producing an elongation of the loops 8!)and spreading or extending the same into position to engage pairs ofcompanion needles. Figs. 14 and 15 show the points in engagement withthe loops to be spread. The points now move away from the needles,carrying with them loops 8b which are shifted one needle distance to theright, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17, so that the loops are spread orextended from the wales in which they originate into adjacent wales, theneedles descending into the knockover bit structure and then rising sothat the needles 20 will pass through the loops 8, thus completing theloop spreading operation and form'ng a new interlocking course 6. Itwill be seen that both-legs of the spread loops 8 are caused to engagewith and are held by both loops 9 and 13 of the transferred course.

Fig. 18 shows a patch of another form of runproof stocking fabric,enlarged approximately twenty times, in which interlocking courses 25are separated by tuck stitch courses 26. The interlocking courses areformed by spreading and interlocking certain loops 27 and arrangingthese loops in staggered relationship in succeeding interlocking coursesin a manner well known in the art, but instead of engaging with plaincourses, as heretofore, the loops 27 of the interlocking courses arepassed through and are interengaged with loops 28 and 29 of the tuckstitch courses, so that the strain exerted by the legs 27a of eachspread loop is equally divided between the loops 28 and 29 therebypreventing excessive yarn strain in any one loop. By reason of thecombined effect of these loops the legs of the spread loops are broughtcloser together, and the fabric has a more uniform texture than thefabric of Fig. 2. The tuck stitches enhance the appearance of thefabric, and also increase the elasticity of the fabric and thus reduceor neutralize various of the distortional effects referred tohereinbefore.

Fig. 19 illustrates the fabric as it appears in the leg portion 15a of afull fashioned stocking (except that it is enlarged to show the loopformation), and Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic view of the fabric. In theform shown, the loops 27 are spread to the right, but it will beunderstood that they may be spread to the left, or to the right and leftin succeeding interlocking courses, if desired. Preferably, the welt 14ais also formed from the fabric of Fig. 18, although it will beunderstood that it may be formed in the manner of Fig. 2, or fromvarious other fabrics, if desired.

The tuck stitch courses 26 are formed in the well known manner bycausing alternate loops 28 to be extended from the needles in the coursein which they are originally formed to the same needles in a succeedingcourse, and thus causing an accumulation of loops 28 and 29 in alternatewales in the tuck stitch courses. The spread loops 27 of eachinterlocking course 25 are passed through the tuck stitches insubstantially the same manner as above described with reference to thetransferred stitches of the preceeding modification. In the fabric ofFigs. 18 to 20 the loops 27 are spread into different wales insuccessive interlocking courses 25, so that there will be a number ofspread interlocking loops in every wale of the fabric. The tuck stitches28 also prevent runs in the sinker wales of the fabric'and thuscontribute to the non-run character of the fabric.

In the foregoing examples the transfer points pearing fabrics.

the points relative to the needles and spreading andinterlocking onlycertain loops at predetermined intervals and skipping the interveningloops in the interlocking courses, rather than by spreading andinterlocking alternate loops in a course, many interlocking variationsmay be e ffected with resulting production of different ap- Also, byshifting the points laterally a distance equal to two or more needles inthe interlocking courses, the loops may be spread over three or moreneedles, if desired.

For brevity in the specification-and claims, the term spread loopdefines a locking loop which extends from the needle creating the loopto another needle in the same course or in a succeeding course to lockthe wale from which the loop is extended or spread; the expressionrun-proof fabric is used in a generic sense and includes a non-runfabric in which a run will not take place or a run-resist fabric inwhich a run is limited, dependent upon the specific arrangement oflocking stitches employed; and the term transfer point is used todesignate any form of point or equivalent instrumentality for engagingor coacting with predetermined needles to produce stitches formed by thecoaction therebetween. In the detailed description of Figs. 2, 3 and 18,it is stated that the fabrics of the figures are shown enlarged twentytimesthis refers to the application drawings; in the reduction to patentsize the enlargement is approximately twothirds of that above stated.

The patentable subject-matter herein disclosed and not covered by theclaims is not dedicated to the public, but is claimed in my copendingapplication Serial No. 728,401, filed May 31, 1934.

Of course, the methods and loop. formations specifically shown anddescribed, by which I obtain the above results, can be changed andmodified in various ways without departing from the scope of theinvention herein described and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. Theunethod of knitting a run-proof fabric which comprises formingalternate courses of transferred stitches and interlocking courses ofthe spread loop type substantially throughout the fabric, and causingboth legs of the spread loops of each interlocking course to passthrough and engage with the transferred stitches of the precedingcourse.

2. The method of knitting a run-proof fabric which comprises forming acourse having transferred loops in alternate wales thereof, forming asucceeding course of loops while the needles are within the transferredloops, and spreading the loops passing through said transferred loopseach from one wale into an adjacent wale of the wales in the fabric,said transferred courses having needle loops transferred from the walesin which they originate into the wales from which the locking loops arespread, said spread loops passing through and interconnected with thetransferred loops.

5. A run-proof knitted fabric comprising interlocking coursesalternating with transferred courses substantially throughout thefabric, said interlocking courses formed by spreading alternate loopsfrom the wales in which they originate into adjacent wales, and thetransferred courses formed by transferring alternate loops, from thewales into which the locking loops are spread, into the wales in whichthe spread loops originate, said spread loops passing through andinterconnected with the transferred loops.

6. A run-proof knitted fabric comprising interlocking coursesalternating with transferred courses substantially throughout thefabric, said interlocking courses formed by spreading alternate loopsfrom the wales in which they originate into adjacent wales, and thetransferred courses formed by transferring alternate loops, from the.wales into which the locking loops are spread, into the wales in whichthe spread loops originate, the spread loops being positioned in thesame wales in successive interlocking courses and interconnected withthe transferred loops.

7. A full fashioned stocking comprising a portion having interlockingcourses alternating with special courses, the interlocking coursesformed by loops spread from the wales in which they originate intoadjacent wales in the stocking, said special courses formed bytransferring loops into the wales from which the locking loops arespread, said spread loops passing through and interconnected with thetransferred loops.

8. A full fashioned stocking having a leg portion composed ofinterlocking courses alternating with transferred courses, theinterlocking courses formed. by spreading alternate loops from the walesin which they originate into adjacent wales in the same course, and thetransferred courses formed by transferring alternate loops, from thewales into which the locking loops are spread, into the wales in whichthe spread loops originate, the spread loops being positioned in thesame wales' in successive interlocking courses and having both legspassing through and interconnected with the transferred loops.

9. A full fashioned stocking comprising a portion having interlockingcourses alternating with transferred courses substantially throughoutsaid portion, said interlocking courses having loops spread from thewales in which they originate into adjacent wales in the fabric, saidtransferred courses having needle loops transferred from the wales intowhich the locking loops are spread, said spread loops interconnectedwith the transferred loops.

10. A full fashioned stocking comprising a portion having interlockingcourses alternating with transferred courses substantially throughoutsaid portion, said interlocking courses having loops spread from thewales in which they originate into adjacent wales in the fabric, saidtransferred courses having needle loops transferred from the wales inwhich they originate into the wales from which the locking loops arespread, said spread loops passing through and interconnected with thetransferred loops.

GUSTAV GASTRICH.

